UPDATE: Louisiana governor signs crossing-arm bill
BATON ROUGE, La. — On Monday, Gov. Kathleen Blanco approved legislation drafted earlier this year by Rep. Mike Walsworth. The bill calls upon the...
BATON ROUGE, La. — On Monday, Gov. Kathleen Blanco approved legislation drafted earlier this year by Rep. Mike Walsworth.
The bill calls upon the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to generate regulations that comply with the Administrative Procedure Act requiring that every bus purchased by school districts before Jan. 1, 1996, be retrofitted with a driver-activated crossing arm.
The device is to be attached to the right side of each bus' front bumper in order to prevent students from walking directly in front of the bus.
The bill stipulates that the buses should be retrofitted with a crossing arm by Jan. 1, 2008. It also requires the state to appropriate funds to school districts for the retrofitting.
State law already requires buses purchased after Jan. 1, 1996, to be equipped with crossing arms.
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